Four Secrets Tenzin Never Tells Pema (and One He Does)
by Cassandra147
Summary: Secret 5: Tenzin doesn't believe in soulmates.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Avatar-universe.

Author's Note: My muse decided she wanted to have fun with Tenzin. This compilation is the result. Canon ships (past and present), but more focused on Tenzin than anyone else.

* * *

Tenzin learned early on that being the only Airbender born in well over a hundred years meant he would be the focus of attention for his entire life.

...

At the tender age of seven, he inquired as to why people came to Temple Island and, upon spotting him, would gawk and point their fingers at him.

Katara sighed. "Because you're an Airbender, Tenzin. You're unique."

"I know, but why does it make it okay for them to be rude?" He didn't like the feel of unfamiliar eyes on him. He didn't like the whispers and fingers either.

"It doesn't," his mother answered, "but that's how people are. They like to stare at what is different or unusual. They don't mean any harm." She planted her hands on her hips. "I'll speak to the acolytes though and make sure they keep any more sightseers farther away from the family quarters."

...

"Hurry up, Tenzin," Lin called. She rapped on the door to her bedroom. Inside, Tenzin yanked the sand colored tunic over his head. Beneath that, he wore soft green pants and undershirt.

"I'm coming," he retorted. He snatched up a coat of dark olive with an attached hood, donning it as well.

Emerging from the bedroom, he said, "I'm ready."

"Not quite." Already clad in a similarly cut coat, hers black, Lin reached out and pulled his hood up. "There. Your bald head would be a dead giveaway."

"Do you really think no one will notice?" he asked anxiously.

"Not if you keep your hood up - and we'll be outside so nobody should think twice about that," she replied, starting for the front door. She grabbed her gloves and a scarf from pegs on the wall. She tugged the gloves on and wrapped the scarf tightly around her neck. Keys dropped into a pocket, Lin pulled the door open, gesturing for him to precede her.

When they reached the stadium, Lin introduced him to her friends as "Lee, my mom works with his dad." The other teenagers accepted it without question. Tenzin spent a happy afternoon as an unremarkable sixteen-year-old watching Republic City's soccer team try to trounce Omashu's. He was jostled by spectators, accidently put his hands in spilled soda, and heard words he suspected his mother would wash his mouth out with soap for should he ever repeat them. As the match heated up, he found himself cheering and shouting at the players along with everyone else.

Afterwards, Lin and he refused an invitation to go for noodles. Instead, they rode the cable cars for a while, ending up at a cafe which Lin declared sold the best hot chocolate in the city. Tenzin insisted on paying. With his father, or if recognized by himself as an Airbender, shopkeepers tended to offer things for free, even becoming insulted if rebuffed. He knew the shopkeepers would often then boast of having the Avatar or the second-to-last Airbender as customers. Those kind of gifts unsettled Tenzin's stomach; as Lee, nothing of that sort occurred.

Waiting to catch a trolley back to Lin's house, he was delighted when a police officer passed and failed to recognize him. The officer tipped his hat to Lin, who greeted him by name, but squinted at Tenzin with some suspicion.

"Your mother knows you're out with - " he started.

"She does," Lin interrupted. "I have permission."

The officer nodded and bid them a good evening. Lin smirked. "He thinks I'm out with some strange boy and my virtue might be in danger. My mother might need to start remedial training if her officers can't recognize you."

"It's interesting how people see what they expect to see. They expect me to be in Air Nomad clothes. In Earth colors and clothing, they don't see me," Tenzin remarked.

"That was the plan; it's worked so far."

He cocked his head, "What was that about your virtue?"

Lin shrugged. "He probably thinks a fifteen-year-old girl shouldn't be wandering around with a strange boy. Although he should know better than to think I can't defend my own virtue perfectly well myself." Pointing down the street, she said, "Come on, here's our trolley."

They hopped aboard and returned to Lin's house. After changing back into Air Nomad robes, Tenzin folded his outfit and laid it on the top shelf of Lin's closet. For the remainder of that winter, until a hood became impractical, a young man named Lee frequently accompanied Lin on her excursions about the city.

...

"Is there any way to politely ask them to leave?" Tenzin entreated of his father. The pair stood in the Avatar's office, windows open to catch any summer's breeze that chanced by. The older Airbender shook his head.

"They have a valid reason for being here; they want to observe Airbending in action," he replied. "I can't send them away or request them to leave without giving a good justification."

"That is true," Tenzin conceded. "However, I don't believe it is a coincidence that this particular group of acolytes arrived two months ago."

Aang repressed a smile. "You mean, you don't believe the other Temple elders saw fit to send the youngest, and most attractive, female acolytes here when you and Lin were having a tiff _by accident_."

Given Tenzin's stormy expression, he read his father's amusement and was not pleased by either it or his theory.

"Lin and I are fine - we were working it out when _they_ arrived." Tenzin flailed a hand at the open window. "I don't know what they - even if we had split up - which isn't going to happen - I wouldn't - what are they expecting?"

"I know," said Aang. "I had the same sort of trouble when I was your age. It drove your mother crazy. Speaking of which, what does Lin think of the situation?"

"She vacillates from amusement to irritation on my behalf."

"The amusement part I can easily imagine, but what do you mean by irritation on your behalf?"

"She gets annoyed _with them_ because she knows I hate feeling like - like a particularly appetizing cake in a bakery window or a prime piece of meat in a butcher's shop," he exclaimed. Aang giggled at the imagery. Tenzin scowled at his father. "It's not funny."

With effort, Aang sobered and asserted, "They don't mean any harm, Tenzin. In another couple of weeks or a month, they'll become discouraged or bored and turn to their own pursuits or leave the island for other Temples. In the meantime, try to be patient and bear these young ladies' attentions as best you can. Without encouraging them, of course."

"The problem is that I try extremely hard _not_ to encourage them, even attempting to dissuade them by informing them I'm with Lin, but nothing works. They still follow me about on the island, press me to show them Airbending moves or take them flying, and drop hints about how much they love children." He sighed heavily. "Frankly, I don't know what else to do that wouldn't be outright rude or hurtful."

Aang mulled the problem over in his head. The distress in his son's voice was real and it sounded as if he was reaching the end of his willingness to tolerate the situation. A voice, suspiciously akin to his wife's, reminded him that Tenzin, unlike himself, never sought the spotlight or relished attention from outsiders.

Finally, he spoke, "What if I handled all the meditation sessions, performed any requested Airbending demonstrations, and dealt with any sort of Temple disputes for the next month to, um, to let things cool off? That should minimize the time you would have to spend on the island."

"I have no intention of shrinking my responsibilities, Father," Tenzin replied. "You have other duties."

"You wouldn't be 'shrinking your responsibilities'; I'm volunteering," Aang insisted, brightening. "It would give me an excuse to stay here for a while. Your mother claims I've been neglecting her, and it's only fair as you've dealt the majority of the Temple concerns for the past couple of years."

Tenzin hesitated for a moment before accepting. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Good. Out of sight, out of mind." He then grinned mischievously. "And if that doesn't work, try convincing Lin to help you give them a nice visual display of why you're not interested."

Indignant, Tenzin squawked, "Father!"

Aang chortled.

...

In hindsight, Tenzin realized how _fast_ his relationship with Pema progressed. They went from acquaintances to spouses within a single year. And he doesn't recall Pema ever asking for them to slow down, to allow a chance for them to learn to be together as a couple. On his part, the thought of being _The Last_ bore down on him like an oncoming train, its whistle blaring in his ears and its lights casting his shadow in front of him. Pema was sweet and gracious and ready to love him, to marry him, and Tenzin responded in kind.

The Temple elders rejoiced in their marriage as did the White Lotus. Many expressed relief that he had settled down at long last, and with a proper Air Nomad acolyte. Pema smiled at their comments; Tenzin wished they hadn't felt the need to point that out.

Three months later, he overheard Pema speaking to the merchants who supply the Temple's food staples. She referred to him as "my husband, Master Tenzin." The phrasing stuck in his mind.

It took him almost eight months, and several more conversations or introductions, to figure out why.

Even in formal introductions, no one in his family called him "Master Tenzin" and very few did outside the family. During official occasions or in Council, Lin and Sokka used "Councilman Tenzin." Pretty much anytime else, and to anyone else, he was simply Tenzin. Toph often forwent his real name completely and used whatever nickname popped into her head. "Master Tenzin" was reserved for emphasizing his position as the head of the Temple by virtue of being the only living Airbender.

This was the name which his wife elected to use when she spoke of him.

Tenzin wondered what name she called him in the privacy of her own mind. If she ever thought of him as "Master Tenzin" rather than plain "Tenzin."

...

In time, Pema lost the habit. Tenzin was not sorry to notice its absence.

* * *

Secret:

_Every once in a blue moon, Tenzin wonders if Pema would have been so eager to fall in love and marry him if he hadn't been the Last Airbender._


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note & Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar universe. And why aren't there tags for Toph or Sokka under Legend of Korra?

_Author's Warning: __Discussion of a violent crime. _

* * *

Laughter - boisterous, carefree, riotous laughter - that's what he remembers most clearly. Always a bit too loud, always a bit too indecorous, and always a bit too spirited, Toph's laughter would fill the space, no matter how vast, with her mirth.

...

He was twenty-one and working as the assistant to Councilman Xian. He stood behind the Air Councilman as the trial began. There was a man, one of average height, muddy brown hair, hazel eyes, and neatly trimmed fingernails dressed in earth tones, seated at the defense table.

Aunt Toph - Chief Beifong - was called upon to present evidence. She recounted, in meticulous detail, how this mundane-looking man tortured his victims: how he brought them to the brink of death again and again by suffocation, by drowning, by strangulation, how he delighted in cutting and burning them dozens of times to hear them scream, and how he violated their corpses.

Councilman Sokka halted the testimony midway and proclaimed a recess. Tenzin escaped to a washroom and threw up everything in his stomach. It required every ounce of willpower he could scrape together to return to the Council chamber.

The trial lasted a week. Once it finished, the Beifongs were able to come for dinner on Air Temple Island. A sober mood hung over them; Sokka, Tenzin, and Toph overshadowed by the week's work. Too junior to be directly involved in the case, Lin knew it well nonetheless and it showed in her solemn expression and silence.

"Hey, tell Aang that joke, Sokka," urged Toph, breaking the quiet.

"Huh?" Sokka blinked. "What joke?"

"You know - about the badgermole and rabaroo?"

"Now?"

Toph slapped his back. Sokka nearly face-planted into his plate. "Yeah."

Turning to Aang, Sokka asked, "What did the badgermole say to the rabaroo?"

"I don't know," he replied.

Toph answered, "Nice to _see_ you!" She guffawed. "Get it? Badgermoles can't see!"

Involuntary smiles, albeit small ones, appeared on Aang's and Sokka's faces. The air lightened and Tenzin felt his muscles relax fractionally.

"Sokka, knock, knock," Toph said.

"Who's there?"

"Aang."

"Aang who?" Sokka responded with a glance at the Avatar.

"Aang on a minute - do I even know you?" Again, Toph laughed; this time, the smiles on the others' faces were more genuine.

"How about this one," Sokka offered, "What did King Bumi say when he got mud on his new shoes?"

"Oh I know!" cried Aang. He outright grinned. "Oma Shu!"

He and Sokka joined Toph in her chuckles while Katara smiled; Lin gave them a sort of half-grin. For the remainder of the meal, Aang, Sokka, and Toph traded jokes and puns. The events of the previous week faded into the background of Tenzin's mind to be replaced by the sound of their sporting.

After dinner, Tenzin walked the Beifongs and Sokka to the quay. As the ferry had yet to arrive, Toph stopped while still on land. Sokka and Lin continued onto the wooden planks, Sokka gesturing at something towards the city. Tenzin stayed with his aunt.

"What is it, kid?" she demanded.

He blurted, "How do you do that?"

"Do what? Be awesome?" Toph smirked. "That's just who I am!"

"No. How do you...laugh and joke after something like this trial? How do you just forget all of it?"

"I never _forget_ something like this. But I don't let it ruin what's good either." Toph turned to him. "When the bad part is over, you have to laugh. If you can't laugh, you've got to make yourself laugh. You can't let people like that monster win."

...

Tenzin misses her laughter the most. He misses other aspects too - her gusto for life, her rough style of affection, her utter refusal to see her blindness as any sort of weakness, and even her tipsy revelries with his uncle and her endless supply of nicknames. But most of all, he misses his Aunt Toph's laughter.

* * *

_Secret: He misses Aunt Toph. _


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews I've been getting. It's lovely to find them in my inbox.

* * *

"You're orange."

"I know."

"What happened?"

Closing the door behind her, Lin stepped into Tenzin's office as he raised his head at her question. Lips pursed, she scrutinized him. He was, indeed, orange - a carrot shade to be precise. Lin bit her inside cheek.

"My children, Bumi, Korra, some combination of those...I'm not sure. _Someone_ put orange powder in the showerhead and I came out like this." He waved at himself. Resigned, he awaited her response.

"You match your robes," she dryly commented. Her lips twitched.

Then, the balance tipped and she began to snicker, escalating to laughter. Armor chiming with her shakes of laughter, she dropped into the seat opposite him.

"It's not funny, Lin! I look ridiculous. How am I supposed to conduct Council business looking like this!" he fumed. "I only came in because of the joint meeting today and I'm not sure I wouldn't have done better to stay home!"

This only caused her to continue laughing. Tenzin's fiercest scowl had no effect. Huffing, he recalled that Pema, at least, had been sympathetic and had immediately produced a number of soaps. To his dismay, none of them had worked. She had claimed it wasn't as bad as he thought and encouraged him to carry on despite his condition. While he didn't doubt Pema had had a chuckle at his expense, she hadn't done so in his earshot. And, as some small comfort, she'd offered to make one of his favorites for dinner.

Lin, in contrast, required several minutes to calm down. Nor did she apologize for laughing and he doubted she would ever let him forget this incident. Tenzin groaned, dropping his head into his hands.

"Perhaps I should go home," he muttered.

"No." Lin straightened, fixing him in her gaze. "This conference was your idea and it took weeks to arrange. If we have to reschedule, it'll take weeks to pick a new date."

"There are four other Council members."

"Which only means that they'll get deadlocked on a regular basis without a fifth to break the tie," she countered. "Nothing will be accomplished. Besides, if I have to suffer through this, so do you. I don't care if you're orange, purple, or spotted like a hyena-cheetah."

"It won't be that bad, Lin," he said.

"Yes, it will - the Council, Harbormaster, Head of the Merchants' Guild, Director of Republic General, Secretary of City Planning, Commissioner of Education and whoever else decides to turn up- I'd rather deal with the Triads. At least I can throw them in a cell if they annoy me."

"Then why did you agree to come if you think this is such a bad idea?" he demanded, a bit more curtly than intended.

Lin stood and replied, "I never said it was a bad idea. Now, we should get going."

Tenzin closed his eyes. Under his breath, he ran through a ten-count before rising and coming around the desk to join Lin. He halted and glanced at the door; he wasn't looking forward to the others' remarks.

As he steeled himself to leave the sanctuary of his office, Lin abruptly suggested, "You should invite me to dinner."

"Why?"

She arched a brow. "Because I've spent the majority of my life figuring out when people are lying to me or hiding something."

"I'll call Pema at lunch," Tenzin said. He cleared his throat. "Once we determine who the culprit is - normally I wouldn't but - if it's Bumi - or even Korra - "

"Bumi's still scared of rabbit-bats, isn't he?"

Tenzin nodded. "Yes...you can get rabbit-bats?"

Giving him a withering look, Lin reminded him, "I'm Chief of Police and a Beifong. Of course I can get rabbit-bats."

"And if it's Korra?" he questioned.

"She can muck out the bison caves and then send her to me to muck out the police ostrich-horse stables," Lin proposed. "Without bending."

"Hmmm..." Tenzin stroked his beard. Lin clamped down on a renewed urge to chuckle. If she laughed now, he'd reconsider his predicament and she'd have to drag him to the conference. Cables or no cables, Tenzin was heavy; dragging him would be a chore.

"Yes, well, we can discuss this later," he said. Head held high, he strode to the door and opened it. "After you."

* * *

_Secret 3: Pema is his wife. Lin is his best friend. _


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Bit of an experiment here, an all dialogue piece.

* * *

_9:22 a.m. ; Intersection of Boomerang Blvd and Jasmine Street_

"Why are you here?"

"To inspect potential sites for a new police substation."

"No - that's why I'm here. Unless the Council changed their mind? I was told it was _my_ decision as to which of the three sites _I_ prefer."

"No, we haven't. You're free to choose as you wish."

"Then I don't see why you're here. It's Saturday. Shouldn't you be home teaching airbending to those hellions you like to call your children and Korra?"

"They're not hellions, Lin. I'm here because - I just thought - it would be beneficial for me to come along.

"Tenzin, you're a lousy liar. Especially to me."

"I'm not lying."

"Liar."

…

"Pema's family is visiting."

"And?"

_A sigh._ "They've been here since Monday and they're not leaving until Wednesday."

"I fail to see how their presence on the island results in your uninvited presence here."

_Mumble, mumble._

"Speak up, Tez."

"I had to get off the island."

"To get away from your in-laws? Why? Do you not get along?"

"No, it's not that, they're just very...very..."

"Very what?"

"Very strict Air Acolytes."

"This is a problem?"

"Yes."

"So you decided to, what, tell them you have to go into the city on Council business?"

"More or less."

"And you used choosing a location for a new substation as that business? With me?"

"Yes, although I didn't tell them the details. Only that I needed to inspect some property the Council was considering for purchase."

"You don't have paperwork you could be doing?"

"Well, I do, but they might take it into their heads to call or come visit me at the office. I needed something which would keep me out of it."

…

"Lin, _why_ are you smirking?"

"You've created official business, which isn't quite fake, with your former lover, now best friend, in order to escape your in-laws."

"I - that's not what I - "

"If anyone else used a story like this, I'd suspect he was actually having an affair with said former lover."

_Sputtering._

"I'd forgotten how red you can turn." _A pause._ "Good, the agent's here."

* * *

_11:03 a.m. ; 600s Block of Serpent's Way _

"It's a fine location."

"There's almost no space for vehicles."

"True."

"And it's two doors down from a fishmonger."

...

"Which one are we en route to now?"

"The one on Yangchen Avenue, appointment is at 11:15."

…

"Pema's family - who is visiting?"

"Her parents, Meili and Liko, and and her older sister, Pasang."

"How strict?"

"I'm sorry?"

"How strict are they, Pema's family?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Curiosity."

…

"Her father - Liko - mediates a minimum of seven hours a day. He also keeps a log of his meditations."

"Why?"

"According to him, to track his spiritual progress. He makes a point of showing it to me every time they visit."

"That's rather pompous."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that."

"Of course not. What else?"

"They don't eat eggs."

"Eggs? Why not? You've always eaten eggs, so did your father."

"I know. Their reasoning is that eggs are potential lives and therefore should not be deprived of the chance to live by being collected and eaten."

"You're joking."

"No, I wish I was. I haven't had a nice hardboiled egg all week." _A pause._ "Ikki asked for tea eggs yesterday and Pema's mother refused her without consulting either Pema or myself."

"What did you do?"

"Pema promised Ikki she would make tea eggs as soon as they leave."

* * *

_1:18 p.m.; Aunt Cho's Dumpling Shop_

"I must remember to come back here."

"I told you, best dumplings on this side of the city."

"How did you find out about this place? It's quite well concealed."

"From my officers."

…

"Korra _accidentally_ set Pasang's favorite shawl on fire."

"Accidentally?"

"So she says."

"How?"

"She was practicing firebending and overshot her target. Pasang had her shawl hanging on a nearby clothesline."

"The girl does lack control. But you think it might not have been accidental?"

"I'm not sure. She didn't seem to regret it very much, although fortunately she put out the fire before the shawl was more than badly singed along one side."

"Was Korra angry at Pasang?"

"Pasang means well; she keeps giving Korra suggestions on how to become more spiritually aware. She even implied that Korra's schoolgirl infatuation, as she termed it, with Mako was partially to blame and that Korra should stop seeing him, stop leaving the island at all in fact."

"I'm sure Korra didn't appreciate that advice."

"No."

"Hmm...we have time for tea and dessert."

"That sounds wonderful."

…

"To be honest, I think the children are starting to tire of the attention."

"How so? They seemed unable to get enough from Katara."

"My mother doesn't want them to spend ten minutes of every hour in meditation. Or stop playing the Fire Prince and the Avatar because it promotes violence."

"I see."

"And...well...they're not fond of some things Meili and Liko have said...about some other people."

"Other people?"

"You, in specific."

"Me? What about me?"

"They - they don't like the fact that we've become friends again. They think you're a...'a corrupting influence'."

"A corrupting influence - I'm flattered."

"They're quite serious, Lin."

"I don't doubt that. It's just highly amusing."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Besides, it's hardly the first time I've been called that in respect to you. One of those insufferable Temple elders said much the same thing when we were together."

"I remember."

"You could always tell your in-laws the same thing I told him."

"What was that?"

"That as far as corrupting went, you certainly never complained."

"Lin!"

…

"What did your kids say about me that infuriated Pema's relatives?"

"Meelo and Ikki were talking about how you protected us. Meelo called you 'Hero Lady.'"

"He..."

"It's his favorite nickname for you."

"Oh."

"Liko told them not to idolize warriors - that violence isn't the answer and those who rely on violence are 'maladjusted'. He also said, since we didn't escape, your sacrifice was meaningless." _A pause_. "Meelo bit him."

"_Meelo bit him?"_

"They're all rather fond of you, you know."

"I...I don't...I'm not good with children."

"You're better than you think."

...

"No."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. You were eyeing my uiro."

"I was not."

"Yes, you were."

"I've already finished my dessert."

"Tenzin, if you think I've forgotten about your insatiable sweet tooth, I haven't."

_Pouting._

"I _will_ hit you if you try to steal one of my uiro."

_A sigh._

"I don't like the chestnut one. You can have it."

"Thank you."

* * *

_4:07 p.m. _; _Wolfbat Road near Turtleduck Street _

"Which one do you prefer?"

"Yangchen Avenue."

"The second site? I thought this last one would be easier to convert."

"It would, but the Yangchen site is as easily accessible and has more space. In a few years, it'll likely need to be expanded; buying a larger property now will save time and expense later."

"You believe you'll need to expand that soon?"

"If we expect to keep up with the population growth, we'll have to."

"Do you want to inform the Council on Monday?"

"Not yet. I have a few concerns to be dealt with first - and I want my captains' input, particularly those familiar with the area."

"When do you think you'll be ready with a final decision?"

"Wednesday at the earliest. I'll notify you when I've chosen."

"I'll tell the others to expect a decision towards the end of the week then."

"How do you intend to get home? Oogi or the ferry?"

"Oogi."

"You should whistle for him. There's a park two blocks over where he can land."

_Three long blows on a whistle._

"May I give you a lift home?"

"Might as well."

* * *

_4:21 p.m. ; 608 Iris Avenue, Beifong Townhouse_

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"For tolerating my presence today."

"If I wanted you gone, I would have said so."

"I know, but you didn't and I'm grateful."

"Consider it my charitable deed for the month."

"Will you come to dinner as usual on Tuesday?"

"With your in-laws still there, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Please? The children would miss you."

"All right. I'll even promise to be as civil as possible."

"I would appreciate it. Goodbye, Lin."

"Goodbye, Tez."

"Oogi, yip-yip."

* * *

_Secret 4: After a few days, his in-laws start driving Tenzin crazy. _

_Apologies to Pema for the family I gave her. The idea refused to let me alone. Hopefully, the final chapter will make up for it a bit. _


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay. I was editing my original draft for this chapter and realized it felt far too forced. I ended up scraping it entirely which meant I had to come up with a new idea.

Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Korra.

* * *

"What about this one?" Korra asked, waving the paperback in the air. The cover depicted a handsome Water Tribe warrior with a doe-eyed and fainting Fire Nation maiden in his arms.

Pema considered it for a moment before nodding. "Add it to the box."

The novel joined several of its fellows in the wooden crate at Pema's side. Korra picked up the next book in the pile on the dining room table as Pema returned to sorting through the magazines in front of her. A dozen or so had already been stacked into the crate.

"Hey Tenzin," Korra called, in a tone dripping with amusement. Seated at the other end of the table, as far from the paperbacks as possible, Tenzin paused in his letter writing. He looked up warily.

"Yes, Korra?" he asked.

Grinning, she tossed her latest pick at him. Tenzin caught it, glanced down at the cover, and grimaced.

"We're not sending that to my sister," he declared. He shoved it across the table back towards Korra. It didn't quite get there.

Intrigued, Pema reached for the book. Now grinning as well, she read aloud the title, _"The Monk and the Runaway Bride."_ The male figure wore Air Nomad robes, albeit with only a shawl draped across his muscular chest, while the woman was dressed in red wedding robes with an elaborate headdress from which hung a glittering veil to obscure her face.

"Yes, we are," Pema said, "Kya will find it amusing and it's not a bad story." She dropped it into the box.

"It's complete nonsense," her husband declared.

"It's romantic," she countered. Tenzin made no reply but returned to his letter.

Tapping the stack to straighten the magazines, Pema tucked them into the crate. Korra, reading the back of another novel, sighed.

To Pema, she asked dreamily, "Do you think Mako could be my soulmate?"

"I don't know, dear," Pema answered. "You've only known each other for a short time and you're still young - " Korra pouted " - but if it's meant to be than it will."

This cheered the girl considerably.

So much so, in fact, that she turned to Tenzin and asked, "What do you think?"

"About what?"

"If Mako and me are soulmates?" Korra prompted him.

"First of all, it's Mako and I, not me and Mako," he corrected her. She rolled her eyes.

He continued, "As to whether or not you're - " he made a fluttering, dismissive gesture with one hand - "_soulmates_...I...I have no opinion."

"No opinion?" Korra repeated, disbelieving. Pema shared her incredulity; Tenzin certainly did have opinions about Mako and Korra's relationship. They mostly revolved around Korra's inexperience and the pair's tendency to rush headlong into things without thinking.

The girl further demanded, "And what was with this?" Korra flapped her hand in imitation of Tenzin.

He glanced at Pema, who registered trepidation on his face, and said, "I'm sorry, I need to wrap up this letter if we're going to finish packing the box before the children end their lessons with Acolyte Yen." He set the pen back on paper, but Korra stopped him before he wrote anything.

"Oh come on, seriously, Tenzin, do you not believe in soulmates or something?" she accused him.

He froze for a split second, then met Korra's gaze head on. "No, I don't."

"Ah...okay," Korra murmured, redirecting her attention to the last few books. Pema stared at her husband as his pen started moving again. She caught herself after a moment and began thumbing through the newspaper clippings on the table. As she sorted them into two piles, one for the box and one not, she kept having to reread headlines as her mind whirled. Her throat felt tight; her eyes smarted.

When she had gone through the lot, she slipped them into a large envelope and stuck that in the box.

"I'm going to check on Rohan," she announced, rising and hurrying out of the room.

Scribbling a concluding line, Tenzin threw the pen down and hastened after her.

He didn't have to go far.

"Pema?" he said gently, easing onto the bench in the alcove she had chosen. He left a space between them. Pema's head was bowed, her hands clenched in her lap.

"I'm fine," she offered, but without looking at him.

Tenzin reached out and took her hands in his. He swallowed. "Pema...I know...I know you believe in soulmates and…that we..._are_."

She raised her head; disappointment and heartache clear on her face. "You never told me you didn't believe."

"Because I thought it would hurt you and it never seemed that important." He took a deep breath. "Maybe if I explain why I don't believe...maybe that will help?"

"I'm listening."

She waited as Tenzin marshaled his thoughts into order, wanting to be coherent and lucid.

Finally, he began speaking, "I was eleven months old when I airbent for the first time. Other benders, they usually can remember a time before they learned to bend; I can't. I was always an Airbender...and I always knew that meant more than just bending. It meant all of this." He gestured broadly to encompass the entire Temple.

"Being an Airbender - it defines me - what I wear, what I eat, where I live, what beliefs I follow, what work I do,whether or not I wanted children." He attempted a smile. "Fortunately, I happen to like this life, but even still…I rarely had the ability to choose for myself."

By the end of the sentence, his smile had vanished.

"You didn't _have_ to live this life; no one forced you," Pema contested. Tenzin shook his head.

"My other option was disappointing _everyone_, turning my back on my father and the Temple and being a disgrace for abandoning my responsibilities. I didn't want to do that," he said. "I couldn't. It was never a fair and honest choice. It was never my choice and mine alone."

He fell silent. Pema allowed him time before asking, "How does this explain why you don't believe in soulmates?"

"Who decides soulmates?" he posed. Pema frowned.

"I've never really thought about it," she answered. "The spirits, destiny, fate...I don't know."

"Forces beyond our control?"

"Yes, I suppose."

Tenzin squeezed her hands. "I don't want to believe that our life, our relationship, was mere happenstance or something predestined over which we had no choice. I want...I'd rather believe that we choose each other for our own reasons - not only love, but because we thought we could make each other happy, because we had similar hopes for our future, because we respected and admired one another...maybe even for silly things like having the same favorite time of day."

Blinking furiously, Pema scooted over, closing the gap between them. She leaned against his shoulder. Tenzin immediately put an arm around her.

"Pema, I'm sorry, maybe if I explain it differently, it's hard to - "

"No," she interrupted, freeing one hand to dab at her eyes. "No, you explained it just fine."

When she twisted her head to smile up at him, he smiled back, the tight lines on his face smoothing away.

"That's good," he replied. Pema settled her head again on his shoulder, listening to the Temple about them: the subdued talk of the acolytes, the footsteps on the boards, the birdsong and lemur jabbering.

A question crept into her mind. It nagged at her like a loose tooth.

"I do have a question," she said. "If you don't believe in soulmates, than you believe you could be equally happy with any one of a number of people? That there is not one right person to spend your life with?"

"I don't think of it that way. I think that...love is precious. And different each time with each person you fall in love with, because every person is different and you change as well. Having a soulmate seems to imply that every other romantic relationship, past or future, you have is a mistake or a waste of time or just plain wrong. I find that very hard to accept."

"Past or future?"

"I don't believe a romantic relationship is a failure simply because it doesn't last a lifetime. Nor do I think one love should diminish another." He paused and fidgeted with her hand. "If something happened to me, I'd hope you would find love again - someone to love who loves you in return, someone to make you happy - and I wouldn't want your love for him, or his for you, to be any less true or deep than what we have between us."

Pema couldn't form a rational verbal response. Instead, she kissed him.

"Eewww!" Gagging noises broke them apart.

"Jinora, Meelo, Ikki, I see you've finished your lessons," Tenzin remarked as their children came towards them, an acolyte in tow. Tenzin nodded at her. "Did they behave themselves?"

"More or less," the woman replied. "Nothing worth bothering about."

"Thank you, Yen," Tenzin said. She bowed and departed.

"Daddy, can I put this in the box for Aunt Kya?" asked Ikki. She held up a stick-figure drawing with her calligraphy, somewhat crooked and disjointed but legible, along one edge.

"You may," promised Tenzin. He and Pema stood and shepherded the children towards the dining room for lunch.

* * *

_Secret 5: Tenzin doesn't believe in soulmates_

* * *

If you're wondering where Rohan is, I imagine there's a fair few acolytes who are quite happy to babysit him and give Pema a break for a couple of hours.

As to why Kya is getting books/magazines/newspapers - The South Pole is still rather isolated and she probably wouldn't have easy access to new publications (or other luxuries). So she has her brother ship her stuff. Stories are great when trapped inside by a storm or during the long polar nights.


End file.
